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G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1985 TV series)
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a half-hour American animated television series based on the toyline from Hasbro and the comic book series from Marvel Comics. The cartoon had its beginnings with two five-part mini-series in 1983 and 1984, then became a regular series that ran in syndication from 1985 to 1986. Ron Friedman created the G.I. Joe animated series for television, and wrote all four miniseries. History G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero began with a five-part mini-series aired in 1983, which was alternately known as "The MASS Device" when it was re-aired during the series' syndication. The plot centers on the titular MASS Device, a powerful matter-transporter, and G.I. Joe and Cobra's race around the world to acquire the three catalytic elements which power the machine. A second five-part mini-series followed in 1984, "The Revenge of Cobra", with a similar plot that involved the Joes and Cobras travelling around the world to recover the scattered fragments of Cobra's new weather-controlling weapon, the Weather Dominator. Both mini-series were written by Ron Friedman. G.I. Joe was promoted to an ongoing series in 1985, with an initial order for a first season of 55 more episodes (in order to make up the required 65 episodes for syndication). This season began with a third Friedman-penned five-part adventure, "The Pyramid of Darkness", which originally aired in prime time ; the story sees most of the existing cast from the two previous mini-series held captive by Cobra, while a new assortment of characters (that is, the new 1985 range of toys) thwart Cobra's attempts to surround the Earth with the electricity-negating Pyramid of Darkness. Both the new and old characters then shared the spotlight throughout the course of the remaining fifty episodes of the series, which were primarily stand-alone single-episode adventures, with the occasional two-part story. The season was story edited by Steve Gerber. A second season of 30 episodes followed in 1986, beginning with a fourth five-part story, "Arise, Serpentor, Arise!" in which Cobra scientist Doctor Mindbender uses the DNA of history's most ruthless conquerors and rulers to genetically engineer Serpentor, who takes Cobra Commander's place as leader of Cobra. This mini-series introduced the new 1986 range of toys into the story, who were at the center of most stories across the rest of the season; in particular, the mini-series debuted former WWF and then-current AWA professional wrestler Sgt. Slaughter as a member of G.I. Joe, played by himself. For this season, Buzz Dixon replaced Steve Gerber as story editor. Production A public safety lesson was usually featured at the end of each episode, using G.I. Joe characters in brief scenarios to impart safety tips to children. These lessons gave birth to the catchphrase: "And knowing is half the battle". In each episode's opening title sequence voice actor Jackson Beck states that, "G.I. Joe is the code name for America's daring, highly-trained, Special Mission force. Its purpose: To defend human freedom against Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world". Because the cartoons were produced as a vehicle to sell the toys, each episode typically focused on a particular G.I. Joe character. The animated series was not directly tied to the comic book produced by Marvel Comics (due to the Sunbow Productions/Marvel Productions animated series based on Hasbro properties), although several concepts, such as the Oktober Guard, Springfield, and Serpentor were all featured in the comic book and the animated series. Cancellation Sunbow/Marvel's G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series ended on November 20, 1986 after 95 episodes. Despite G.I. Joe s success, no other studio offered to produce a new season until 1989 when DiC took over. Other G.I. Joe series In 1989, DIC Entertainment produced a [[G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1989 TV series)|second G.I. Joe series]], starting with a 5-part mini-series titled Operation: Dragonfire. A regular series was broadcast in 1990. As in the past, newer characters (with action figures on sale at the time) took the spotlight from older and more established ones. As a result, most of the Sunbow series cast were retired in favor of new ones. Some, like General Hawk, Duke, Scarlett and Snake-Eyes, were retained as they also had new figures out, and were joined by new creations like Captain Grid-Iron, Ambush, Pathfinder, Bullet Proof and Sky Patrol. Likewise, Cobra Commander and Destro were joined by Cesspool, Metal-Head, Gnawgahyde and a new assortment of (colorful) Viper troops. In the first few episodes, which served as a link to the old cartoon continuity, some Sunbow-era characters like Serpentor and Sgt. Slaughter did appear, briefly. Serpentor was written out, while Slaughter was eventually retired after a 1990-91 WWF storyline in which his wrestling character "turned traitor" during the first Gulf War; he was thus disassociated from the entire Joe franchise. However, this Joe series was not long for syndication, as it only lasted 2 seasons and 44 episodes. The next few years, various cartoon tie-ins to the G.I. Joe franchise were released but they had no bearing on the A Real American Hero mythology. Former Executive in Charge of Production Lee Gunther's new studio Gunther-Wahl Productions was contracted and created a new series titled G.I. Joe Extreme in 1996 featuring new characters and villains. As with the 1985 and 1990 series, this series was distributed by Claster Television. With the exception of a fleeting appearance by Cobra Commander, Hawk and Lady Jaye, the series jettisoned past Joe cartoon history and took on a new life of its own. Films G.I. Joe: The Movie was released direct-to-video on April 20, 1987. G.I. Joe: The Movie was intended as a theatrical release to be closely followed by The Transformers: The Movie. However, the G.I. Joe film encountered unexpected production delays which allowed the Transformers feature to be released first. Due to the poor box office performances of the Transformers film and the My Little Pony film, G.I. Joe: The Movie was relegated to direct-to-video status before later being split into a 5-part mini-series for television syndication. 1994 saw a direct-to-video release for Sgt. Savage and his Screaming Eagles. In 2003, Reel FX Creative Studio produced a cartoon based on A Real American Hero. Although it was only a direct-to-video CGI movie, G.I. Joe: Spy Troops managed to spawn a second movie, G.I. Joe: Valor vs. Venom, in 2004. Any planned follow-ups, however, have been shelved to make way for Hasbro's latest incarnation in the G.I. Joe universe, G.I. Joe: Sigma 6. Although Sigma 6 is superficially connected to A Real American Hero, its continuity is self-contained and Hasbro is not expected to return to A Real American Hero. Cast * Charlie Adler - Low-Light, André Vélocité * Jack Angel - Wet Suit, Pierre LaFonte, Viper * Libby Aubrey - Cover Girl, Dr. Nancy Winters * Jackson Beck - Narrator * Michael Bell - Blowtorch, Clutch, Duke, Lift-Ticket, Major Bludd, Scrap-Iron, Tollbooth, Xamot, Cobra Trooper, Viper, Tele-Viper, Professor Mullaney, Dr. Massey, Socrates Airtes, Robert Harper, Thoth, Jabal, Beemish * Gregg Berger - Colonel Brekhov, Cutter, Firefly, Rip Cord, Sparks, Spirit, Mr. Queeg, Marty Goldblatt * Susan Blu - Brittany "Bree" Van Mark, Sheila McDermott * Arthur Burghardt - Destro, Iceberg, Stalker, Cobra Trooper, Caleb Bronson, Parapsychologist #2 * Wally Burr - Captain Lukrov, Dr. Hamler, Mr. C * Corey Burton - Tomax, Lt. Clay Moore, Owen Van Mark, Gerky Potemkin * William Callaway - Beach Head * Roger C. Carmel - Zandar (Arise, Serpentor, Arise! Part 2), The Major of Paris * Darlene Carr - Additional voices * François Chau - Quick Kick * Philip L. Clarke - Matthew Burke * Peter Cullen - Airborne, Zandar, Cobra Trooper, Ramar, Dr. Vandemeer, Osiris, Anubis * Brian Cummings - Doctor Mindbender * Pat Fraley - Ace, Airtight, Wild Weasel, Cobra Trooper, George Lanceburg * Hank Garrett - Dial Tone, Mike P. Randall * Dick Gautier - Serpentor, Buck McCann, B.A. LaCarre * Ed Gilbert - General Hawk, King Augeas, Reverend Steen * Dan Gilvezan - Slip Stream * Barbara Goodson - Additional voices * Robert David Hall - Colonel Sharp * Johnny Haymer - Charles Fairmont, Dr. Filmoss * Zack Hoffman - Zartan * Kene Holliday - Roadblock * Michael Horton - Tommy Talltree * John Hostetter - Bazooka * Jerry Houser - Sci-Fi * Milton James - Zandar (Arise, Serpentor, Arise! Part 5) * Buster Jones - Doc, Zap, Cobra Trooper, Dr. Windigos * Stanley Jones - Dr. Shakur * Sally Julian - Honda Lou West * Jimmy Keegan - Additional voices * Chris Latta - Breaker, Cobra Commander, Frostbite, Gung-Ho, Ripper, Steeler, Tele-Viper, Dr. Hibbentrope, Patrick O'Hara, Horus * Ketty Lester - Satin * Loren Lester - Barbecue * Morgan Lofting - Baroness, Maat, Mongolian Warrior, Mrs. Rudat, Madame Versailles * Mona Marshall - Vena, Cadet Demming, Mrs. Fairmont, Sally Fairmont, Fairmont Boy, Hawaiian Girl * Chuck McCann - Leatherneck * Michael McConnohie - Cross-Country * Mary McDonald-Lewis - Lady Jaye, Madame Vail, Miss Henderhaunch, Jimmy, Buto * David Mendenhall - Bobby, Young Mainframe * Don Messick - Professor * Bill Morey - Mutt, Recondo, Colonel Slash, Spencer Murphy * Rob Paulsen - Snow Job, Tripwire, Flash (ARAH), WWI American Warrior, Cobra slavemaster * Patrick Pinney - Mainframe * Lisa Raggio - Zarana, Una, Donna Dasher * Bill Ratner - Flint, Cobra Trooper, Strato-Viper * Hal Rayle - Deep Six, Admiral Ledger * Bob Remus - Sgt. Slaughter * Peter Renaday - Dr. Marsh * Neil Ross - Buzzer, Dusty, Heavy Metal, Monkeywrench, Shipwreck, Thunder, Hector Ramirez, Major Ron Michaels, Dr. Jeremy Penser, Wong * Dan Roth - Grunt (Cobra Soundwaves), Brian O'Hara, Sheik Ali * Will Ryan - Footloose, Rock 'n Roll * Marilyn Schreffler - Additional voices * Ted Schwartz - Thrasher * John Stephenson - General Flagg, General Franks, Admiral George Latimer, Dr. Lucifer, General Hawk (in "The Spy Who Rooked Me" and a single spoken line in "My Favourite Things") * B.J. Ward - Scarlett, Pelar Vasquez, Flo Breckinridge * Lee Weaver - Alpine * Frank Welker - Copperhead, Flash, Freedom, Junkyard, Polly, Short-Fuse, Timber, Torch, Wild-Bill, Horrorshow, Rock 'n Roll (ARAH), Cobra Trooper, Tele-Viper, Tom, Parapsychologist #1, Brett Tinker, Timothy Penser, Pingu * Stan Wojno - Lifeline * Michael Yama - Torpedo * Keone Young - Storm Shadow Crew * Wally Burr - Voice Director * Junichi Hayama - In between Animation * Don Jurwich - Voice Director * Bruce Timm - Model Design (Season 1) VHS and DVD releases In the 1980s, various episodes were released on VHS by Family Home Entertainment. In 2003-2004, Rhino Entertainment began releasing G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero on DVD in Region 1. They released the original mini-series in 2003 followed by Season 1 in 2 volume sets in 2004. The first half of Season 2 was released in late 2004 but the remaining episodes were never released. These DVD sets have since gone out of print as Rhino lost the distribution rights. In 2008, Hasbro reacquired the worldwide distribution rights to the Sunbow library which includes G.I. Joe. During 2008 and 2009, Hasbro released five gift packs of cartoon-inspired action figures, each including a DVD. The first four sets included the four miniseries, and the fifth an assortment of Sunbow series episodes. In March 2009, Shout! Factory acquired the rights to re-release G.I. Joe on DVD in Region 1 with Vivendi Entertainment. They have subsequently released Season 1 in 3 volume sets. On July 22, 2009, they released G.I. Joe - A Real American Hero: Complete Collector's Set, a 17-disc boxset featuring all 95 episodes and extensive bonus features including archival Hasbro toy commercials and a collectible 60-page book. The second and final season was released on April 27, 2010. In 2011 Shout! Factory announced plans to release the second series (DiC Series) on DVD in 2012. The first season of the second series was released January 10, 2012 The second season was released July 10, 2012. Reception In January 2009, IGN ranked G.I. Joe as number 19 in their Top 100 Animated Series. See also * Fensler Films References External links * (1st mini-series) * (2nd mini-series) * * * * G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero at Retrojunk.com * G.I. Joe (Sunbow) at YOJOE.com Category:1985 American television series debuts Category:1986 American television series endings Category:1980s American animated television series Category:First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Category:G.I. Joe television series Category:Television series produced by Marvel Productions Category:Television series by Hasbro Studios Category:English-language television programming Category:Toonami